Former Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns to give evidence to royal commission into child sex abuse

ABC News
February 21, 2016

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-21/former-ballarat-bishop-to-give-evidence-to-royal-commission/7187666

Former bishop Ronald Mulkearns (left), with lawyer David Grace, had previouisly been excused from giving evidence because he was too sick.

The royal commission is expected to hear from the former Bishop of Ballarat as it continues to investigate historic child sex abuse in the western Victorian city.

Ronald Mulkearns was in charge of the Ballarat diocese during one of its darkest periods.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse has already heard that the former bishop received numerous complaints about paedophile priests over three decades.

But those complaints were not referred to police.

The royal commission heard Bishop Mulkearns instead moved the priests around western Victoria where they continued to offend.

Until now, the former Catholic cleric had been excused from giving evidence because he was too sick, but the royal commission has now decided he will front the inquiry by video link from his nursing home.

Australian Cardinal George Pell will appear by video link from next week because he has a heart condition which prevents him from flying home to give evidence in person.